By Stephanie Pagdanganan
Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, schools nationwide were forced to suspend classes to prevent the spread of the virus. In light of this, the Student Law Government (SLG) of the San Beda College Alabang School of Law conducted a survey to give voice to the needs and concerns of the students. On April 22, 2020, The Office of the Dean responded in a letter, thanking the student government for reaching out to the students.
“After a month, however,” the letter noted, “we have come to this simple conclusion: it may take some time for things to go back to the way they were before.”
The letter then went on to detail several plans of action, depending on whether or not the ECQ would be extended.
As the ECQ was extended, so was the semester, and online classes or activities were left to the discretion of the professors, “whatever the professor deems most fit, most compassionate, and most sensitive to the needs of their respective students.”
Midterm exams and final exams were still conducted.
On April 30, following the news that some universities had decided to grant mass promotion to their students, Dean Ulan, writing on his Facebook page, announced that he would be upholding the right of the students to quality education, to quote:
“To deny students of their right to quality education is to be inhumane and to turn away from compassion.”
The dean showed his support by wishing the students good luck in their midterm exams, as well as apologizing for the seeming harshness and insensitivity of the exams, in a post in the San Beda College Alabang School of Law Facebook page on May 3.
“We will get through this pandemic if we work together. I hear your many complaints, your hurts, your hates. I hope you hear me out too: We have a future after coronavirus and you are all part of it. You will be lawyers soon and let us help you achieve that dream.”◾